Spiral conveyer



Feb. 21, 1939.

| G. BURMEISTER SPIRAL CONVEYER Filed June l2, 1936 INVENTOR.

ATToRNEY.

Patented Feb. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES SPIRAL CONVEYER Lloyd G. Burmeister, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner to L. Burmeister Co., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application June 12, 1936, Serial No. 84,868

2 Claims.

This invention relates in general to improvements in spiral conveyers and more particularly to an improved coupling construction therefor.

Spiral conveyers operating in elongated boxes are commonly employed for transporting grain, such as corn and wheat, and for transporting coal and like products from one part of a mill or factory to another. These conveyers are usually sectional, in which case a predetermined number of the sections are connected by rigid couplings to produce a desired total length. In order to suitably support the sections for rotation in the conveyer box, bearings are suspended at intervals by brackets, usually termed hangers. These conveyers are of substantial length, frequently as long as several hundred feet, and necessarily there are many spiral sections incorporated therein, and many hangers, it being customary to have a hanger at each point of coupling between the sections. In addition, in lengthy conveyers, there is frequently a drive at each end of the conveyer box.

Heretofore, in order to effect a rigid coupling between the sections, the adjacent shaft ends of said sections being tubular, it has been necessary to insert one end of a short coupling member into the tubular end of. one of said sections and the other end of the coupling member into the tubular end of the adjacent shaft section, utilizing bolts or the like to lock the telescoping parts to each other. In using these conveyers, it is quite common for portions of the spiral to become stripped or twisted olf of the conveyer shaft necessitating repair. Sometimes these repairs can be effected without dismantling the conveyer, but this necessitates shutting down the plant for a substantial length of time, and is therefore an expensive procedure in a busy concern. Very often, the damage to the spiral is so serious as to necessitate replacing one entire spiral section. When this is the case, it is necessary to remove tWo of the couplings to disconnect the damaged section from the adjacent sections, and with the coupling methods now employed, the coupling members cannot be remoyed, even after the bolts are taken out, without sliding the adjacent spiral section laterally to free the telescoped end of the coupling member. However, this lateral sliding of the spiral sections is normally prevented by the various hangers and by the drive mechanism at the ends of the conveyer box, so that as a practical matter it is now necessary, when a damaged section is to be removed, to dismantlethe end drives and remove all of the hangers throughout the entire length of the conveyer. Necessarily, when this is done on a 20D-foot conveyer, for example, the loss of time is extremely costly.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sectional spiral conveyer construction 5 wherein the sections are coupled together in such a Way that any section can be removed for repair or replacement Without in any way disturbing the adjacent sections or hangers.

A further object of the invention is to provide 10 an improved coupling for accomplishing the above result as well as for use in analogous situations.

A more specic object of the invention is to provide a coupling assembly comprising end coupling portions insertable in the tubular ends of 15 adjacent shaft sections to be connected, a center coupling portion positionable between said ends of the adjacent shaft sections, means including cooperating key slots and removable keys for connecting the end coupling portions to the center coupling portion, and readily removable retaining collars for holding the keys in position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coupling assembly as above described wherein the center coupling portion is journaled in a hanger bearing and projects slightly beyond said bearing on each side thereof, and wherein the end coupling portions project slightly from the ends of the tubular conveyer shaft sections; and wherein there are retaining collars on each -30 side of the bearing to embrace the joints between the projecting coupling portions to hold the keys in position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coupling construction which is relatively sim- 35 ple, which is inexpensive, which forms a rigid connection between the adjacent shaft ends, and which makes it possible to use unsplit bearings.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved spiral con- 40 veyer and all its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views,

Fig. l is a side elevational View of a conveyer box, parts being broken away and shown in longitudinal section; l

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through a portion of a conveyer box showing the conveyer and coupling construction therein;

Fig. 3.is` a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail view in longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale showing the coupling; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 6 designates a conveyer box having therein a spiral conveyer formed of a plurality of connected sections 1, 8, 9, Ill, II and I2. The connected sections are rotatable in bearings I3 supported by hangers I4. The ends of the conveyer shaft project from the ends of the conveyer box to connect with suitable driving mechanism I5, and I6. The drives |5 and I6 may be motors or the like, or may be gearing suitably driven by a common drive such as overhead pulleys. Material may be conveyed into the conveyer through an inlet I1 to be discharged from an outlet I8 at the opposite end.

It not infrequently happens that foreign matter mixed with the material being conveyed, causes damage to the spirals necessitating repair or replacement. Heretofore, due to the type of coupling employed between the shaft sections 1, 8, 9, I0, and I2, it was necessary, in order to remove one of the sections of the spiral conveyer, to slide the adjacent sections laterally. Obviously, the drives I5 and I6 as well as the hangers I4 prevent such lateral sliding movement. It has therefore been necessary heretofore to partially dismantle the drives I5 and I6 and remove all of the hangers I4. The present invention relates more particularly to a coupling construction which obviates the above.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 4, which shows adjacent reamed tubular ends I9 and 2|) of spiral conveyer sections, it will be seen that the coupling assembly comprises end coupling portions 2| and 22 and a center coupling portion 23. The end coupling portion 2| is telescoped within the reamed end portion of the shaft I9 as illustrated with its end 22 projecting slightly beyond the end of the spiral section. A reenforcing sleeve 23 ts over the exterior of the shaft I9 and bolts 24 extending at right angles to each' other through cooperating apertures in the sleeve 23, shaft I9 and coupling portion 2|, lock the parts together. The other end coupling portion 22 is similarly connected within the shaft 20 by means of bolts 25 passing through cooperating apertures in an external sleeve 26 in the shaft 20 and in the coupling portion 22. The end of the coupling portion 22 also projects slightly beyond the end of the shaft 20 as at 21.

The projecting ends 22 and 21 of the coupling portions 2| and 22 respectively are formed with crossing dovetail slots or key-Ways 28 and 29. The center coupling portion 23 is formed with cooperating dovetail slots 30 and 3|. Keys, of double dovetail form, are insertable in the cooperating slots as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 to rigidly lock the end coupling portions 2| and 22 to the center coupling portion 23. Preferably, each key assembly includes one long key 32 and two short keys 33.

It is to be noted that the center coupling portion 23 is journaled in the bearing I3 of one of the hangers I4, the coupling member projecting from each side of the bearing as at 34 and 35. It is further to be noted that the key-ways or slots of the center coupling portion are formed entirely in the projecting portions 34 and 35 and that the key-ways or slots of the coupling portions 2| and 22 are formed entirely in the projecting ends 22 and 21.

A removable collar 36 is adapted to embrace the line of juncture 31 between the projecting ends 22 and 35. A similar collar 38 is adapted to embrace the line of juncture 39 between the projecting portions 21 and 34. Thus the collars serve to hold the keys in position and prevent the same from falling out of the key-Ways or slots.

By referring to Fig. 5 it may be seen that the collars which are identical in construction can be removed by loosening a screw 4I) to permit swinging of the two parts of the collar on a hinge pin 4|.

It is apparent that with the present construction, if it is desired for example to uncouple the shaft end I9, it is merely necessary to remove a cover part from the conveyer box, remove the collar 36, and remove the keys 32 and. 33. If the corresponding collar at the other end of the shaft I9 is similarly removed as well as the keys retained thereby, the entire shaft or spiral section may be lifted completely out of the conveyer box without in any way disturbing the other conveyer sections or any of the hangers. Due to the fact that this procedure can be so readily accomplished, a replacement section can be immediately inserted, and the damaged section repaired at any time that it is convenient. Thus, there is very little lost time necessitated.

With coupling constructions heretofore employed, it was necessary to have the bearing parts I3 of split construction so that the lower half of each bearing was removable. With the present invention, however, due to the fact that it is unnecessary to remove the hangers, the bearing portions I3 can be of continuous unsplit form. With the split construction, it is necessary to have holding means in the form of a Ushaped rod for the lower half of the bearing. This rod may now be eliminated so that the hangers form a minimum ofk obstruction to material carried through the conveyer box.

While this coupling construction is particularly adapted for use in connection with sectional spiral conveyers, this being claimed as a new combination, it is also apparent that the coupling is adapted for other analogous uses. In addition, various changes and modifications may be made in the coupling construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated as may come Within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

l. A separable coupling for use in connection with a support having a bearing, comprising a coupling member adapted to be journaled in said bearing and to have an end projecting a short distance therefrom, a second coupling member having an end abutting the projecting end of the first coupling member, removable means positionable adjacent the bearing for effecting a driving connection between said abutting ends, and a plural part collar embracing said ends and said driving connection and having one end positionable adjacent the bearing, said collar parts being readily removable to provide for disconnecting the coupling without removal of the bearing.

2. A coupling for use in a spiral conveyer having a tubular shaft end and having a supporting bearing comprising a coupling member insertable in said tubular end and having an end adapted to project therefrom, a second coupling member adapted to be journaled in said bearing and to have an end projecting from the bearing and abutting the projecting end of the rst coupling member, removable means positionable between the bearing and the tubular shaft end for eiecting a driving connection between said abutting ends, and a plural part collar embracing said ends and said driving connection, one end of said collar being positionable adjacent the bearing,

and the other end of said collar being positionable adjacent the tubular shaft end, said collar parts being readily removable to provide for re-4 moval of the conveyer shaft without end-wise movement and without removal of the bearing. 5

LLOYD Gr. BURMEISTER. 

